Kia Officially Unveil Facelifted 2014 Sorento SUV

With winter testing complete and laps of the Nurburgring done and dusted, it's time for Kia to finally lift the lid on everyone's favorite crossover. The facelifted Sorento will be sold in the US as a 2014MY, and the mid-cycle refresh demonstrates a host of improvements including equipment and design upgrades in addition to a 'new chassis' that improves ride and handling, and a 'reengineered bodyshell.' Upfront and at the rear is where the main exterior changes can be found.

These are made up of new headlamps with LED positioning lights, reworked front bumpers with vertical-axis fog-lights, and restyled tailgate with LED taillights. Kia also developed a new selection of alloys up to 19-inches in size. Without sharing any pictures Kia revealed the interior has more soft-touch plastics, a revised center stack with a 7-inch screen, a new LCD instrument cluster, and a larger panoramic sunroof (on certain trims). There's also a new lower console that features a straight-gate selector with a leather-clad lever on the automatic models.

Kia has declined to go into specifics, but under the skin there are enhanced powertrains boasting improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. Of the car, Kia's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas Oh said: "We have given very careful attention to owners' feedback, and the upgraded Sorento is not just a cosmetic exercise but a major step forward for our popular SUV." The 2014 Sorento is tipped to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show in September before arriving in markets later in the year.